ICU World Cheerleading Championships

What are the ICU World Cheerleading Championships?

Cheerleading's world championship, staged by the International Cheer Union since 2009 and held every April at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The 2026 edition was the seventeenth, contesting 33 divisions before more than 5,000 athletes from 50 countries, and has run jointly with the Junior World Championships since 2023.^[1] [2]

Recent editions — the two flagship Premier divisions.

What is contested?

Two disciplines. Cheerleading — Premier, Elite and Advanced levels in All-Girl and Coed, at senior, junior and youth age groups — and Performance Cheer, covering Team Pom, Team Jazz and Team Hip Hop. Alongside them run Adaptive Abilities, Special Abilities and Special Olympics Unified divisions. The flagship titles are Coed Premier and All Girl Premier.^[1] [3]

How do teams qualify?

There is no open qualifying event. Entry is by ICU member national federation, one national team per country per division, with each nation selecting its squad through its own governing body — USA Cheer runs national-team selections and tryouts in the United States. Members must be in good standing, and athletes must meet the ICU age grid, safety rules and anti-doping code.^[1] [3]

Why does it matter?

Because it is the only global national-team competition in the sport, and because it is the ICU's principal argument for Olympic inclusion — the union has held full IOC recognition since 2021 and cheerleading was on the 2025 World Games programme. The United States has won Coed Premier every year since 2016, but the podium behind them has broadened: Mexico, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Canada and Chinese Taipei have all medalled in the Premier divisions recently, and Japan, Colombia and Scotland have taken golds elsewhere on the programme.^[2] [4]